|
Seven things to watch for the week of Jan. 14-19 * Wednesday marks the end of section play for wrestling. There are six matches in Class 3A that feature two unbeaten teams: Greensburg Salem at Hempfield (Section 1B), Thomas Jefferson at Connellsville (Section 2A), Mt. Lebanon at Peters Township (Section 2B), Hampton at North Allegheny (Section 3B), Canon-McMillan at South Fayette (Section 4A), and Trinity at Waynesburg (Section 4B). There are two Class 2A matches that feature two unbeaten teams: Beth-Center at McGuffey (Section 1B) and Burrell at Valley (Section 3A). * Thirty-seven teams and a total of 392 wrestlers are entered in the Allegheny County Tournament, which begins Friday at Fox Chapel. Included in the field are 11 wrestlers who have won a previous title. North Allegheny has won the team title three of the past four years. * Call it “Super Tuesday.” This Tuesday is a big one in WPIAL boys basketball, as the slate of games includes a bevy of big-time matchups, including six between teams ranked in the top five in their respective classifications. One of the biggest ones will come in Class 2A, where No. 1 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (11-1) plays at No. 2 Sewickley Academy (7-3). Both are 5-0 in Section 3. These teams met four times last season. Sewickley Academy beat OLSH in the WPIAL championship, but OLSH got some revenge with a win in the PIAA semifinals. * Another 1 vs. 2 matchup Tuesday features Class 4A No. 2 Ambridge (9-4, 4-0) visiting No. 1 Quaker Valley (10-1, 4-1) in a Section 2 tilt. Quaker Valley hopes to bounce back from its first loss, a 70-69 setback at Blackhawk last Friday. In Class 2A, No. 3 Serra Catholic (9-2, 5-0) hosts No. 4 Jeannette (8-5, 4-1) in Section 2. Serra, led by 6-foot-8 center Jimmy Moon, has won eight games in a row. The Eagles defeated Highlands -- a solid Class 4A team -- Jan. 5. Four of Jeannette’s five losses have been to teams from larger classifications. * Also on Tuesday, Class 6A No. 3 Upper St. Clair (13-0, 4-0) will try to remain undefeated when it hosts No. 2 Mt. Lebanon (12-2, 4-0) in Section 2. Upper St. Clair had some close calls last week, beating Canon-McMillan by two points and Bethel Park by four. Upper St. Clair hosts City League power Allderdice (10-2) Wednesday. Yet another big game Tuesday is Class 5A No. 3 Woodland Hills (9-1, 5-0) paying a visit to No. 4 Penn Hills (10-2, 5-0) with first place in Section 1 on the line. Expect a fast pace, as these are the top two scoring offenses in the class. * The week kicks off Monday with some good girls basketball matchups in the smaller classes. In Class 3A, No. 2 Shady Side Academy (10-1, 6-0) hosts Deer Lakes (9-2, 5-1) in Section 3. Both teams have made huge strides this season. Shady Side Academy was 11-10 last season and Deer Lakes was 9-14. In Class 2A, Section 1 leader Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (9-3, 6-0) travels to play South Side Beaver (9-4, 5-1). In Class 1, Quigley Catholic (7-5, 4-1) hosts No. 3 and Section 1 leader Rochester (10-3, 5-0). Rochester has won eight games in a row. * Woodland Hills will host a huge basketball event Saturday through Monday. The Stand Against Violence Showcase will include 36 teams (34 boys and two girls). All 28 games will be played at one of the two gyms at the school. Half of the boys teams are from Western Pennsylvania, while the other half are from the eastern part of the state, five other states (Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina) and the District of Columbia. One of the best matchups will take place Sunday when Penn Hills plays perennial power Chester. |